U.S. patent application number 14/484169 was filed with the patent office on 2016-03-17 for method for scalable computer network partitioning.
The applicant listed for this patent is Microsoft Corporation. Invention is credited to Fabio Chiussi, Jeff Cox, Nasser Elaawar, Luyuan Fang, Darren Loher, Edet Nkposong, Gary Ratterree.
Application Number | 20160080245 14/484169 |
Document ID | / |
Family ID | 54140741 |
Filed Date | 2016-03-17 |
United States Patent
Application |
20160080245 |
Kind Code |
A1 |
Fang; Luyuan ; et
al. |
March 17, 2016 |
METHOD FOR SCALABLE COMPUTER NETWORK PARTITIONING
Abstract
Various techniques for partitioning a computer network is
disclosed herein. In certain embodiments, control plane functions
(e.g., computation of network routes) and/or forwarding plane
functions (e.g., routing, forwarding, switching) may be partitioned
and performed individually on per domain basis based on (1) a
network configuration of a particular domain (e.g., end points
and/or lower-level domains in the particular domain); and (2) one
or more higher-level domains connected to the particular domain in
the hierarchy. Thus, a particular domain can manage various network
operations of the domain without concerns regarding end points or
network nodes in other domains of the hierarchy. Thus, network
configuration and operation may be partitioned to reduce hardware
costs and operational complexity even as the size of the overall
computer networks increases.
Inventors: |
Fang; Luyuan; (Holmdel,
NJ) ; Cox; Jeff; (Fall City, WA) ; Elaawar;
Nasser; (Seattle, WA) ; Loher; Darren;
(Kirkland, WA) ; Nkposong; Edet; (Sammamish,
WA) ; Ratterree; Gary; (Sammamish, WA) ;
Chiussi; Fabio; (Holmdel, NJ) |
|
Applicant: |
Name |
City |
State |
Country |
Type |
Microsoft Corporation |
Redmond |
WA |
US |
|
|
Family ID: |
54140741 |
Appl. No.: |
14/484169 |
Filed: |
September 11, 2014 |
Current U.S.
Class: |
370/392 |
Current CPC
Class: |
H04L 45/745 20130101;
H04L 45/04 20130101 |
International
Class: |
H04L 12/715 20060101
H04L012/715; H04L 12/741 20060101 H04L012/741 |
Claims
1. A method of transmitting packets in a computer network having a
hierarchy of domains individually having one or more network nodes
interconnected with one or more end points, the method comprising:
at a network node in a first domain of the hierarchy, receiving a
plurality of packets with corresponding end point identifiers
individually having a value corresponding to an end point in a
second domain different than the first domain; determining at least
a portion of a network route from the network node to the end
points in the second domain by performing a comparison of at least
a portion of the values of the received end point identifiers with
entries in a forwarding table in the network node, one of the
entries of the forwarding table specifying a higher-level domain
corresponding to all end points in the second domain; and
forwarding the packets to the higher-level domain based on the
determined at least a portion of the network route.
2. The method of claim 1 wherein: the end point identifiers
individually include a first section corresponding to the
higher-level domain and a second section corresponding to the first
domain or the second domain.
3. The method of claim 1 wherein: the end point identifiers
individually include a first section corresponding to the
higher-level domain and a second section corresponding to the
second domain; and performing the comparison includes comparing
only the first section of the end point identifiers to the entries
in the forwarding table.
4. The method of claim 1 wherein: the end point identifiers
individually include a first section corresponding to the
higher-level domain and a second section corresponding to the
second domain; the network node is a first network node in the
first domain; and the method further includes, at a second network
node in the higher-level domain, determining at least a portion of
another network route from the second network node to the end
points in the second domain based on a value in the second section
of the end point identifiers.
5. The method of claim 1 wherein: the end point identifiers
individually include a first section corresponding to the
higher-level domain and a second section corresponding to the
second domain; the network node is a first network node in the
first domain; and the method further includes: at a second network
node in the higher-level domain, removing the first section from
the stack; determining at least a portion of another network route
from the second network node to the end points in the second domain
based on a value in the second section of the end point
identifiers; and forwarding the packets from the second network
node to the second domain based on the determined at least a
portion of the another network route.
6. The method of claim 1 wherein: the end point identifiers
individually include multiple sections in a stack having: a first
section corresponding to the higher-level domain; a second section
corresponding to the second domain; and a third section
corresponding to an end point in the second domain; the network
node is a first network node in the first domain and the network
route is a first network route; and the method further includes: at
a second network node in the higher-level domain, removing the
first section from the stack; determining at least a portion of a
second network route from the second network node to a third
network node in the second domain based on a value in the second
section of the end point identifiers; and forwarding the packets
from the second network node to the third network node based on the
determined at least a portion of the second network route; and at
the third network node in the second domain, removing the second
section from the stack; for each of the packets, determining a
third network route from the third network node to individual end
points in the second domain based on a value in the third section
of the end point identifiers; and forwarding the packets from the
third network node to the corresponding end points in the second
domain based on the determined third network route.
7. The method of claim 1 wherein the forwarding table in the
network node of the first domain includes entries corresponding to
at least some of the end points in the first domain and a network
node in the higher-level domain.
8. The method of claim 1 wherein: the higher-level domain includes
a group of network nodes having a same forwarding state; and
forwarding the packets includes forwarding the packets to any one
of the network nodes in the group based on the determined at least
a portion of the network route.
9. A method of transmitting packets in a computer network having
one or more network nodes interconnected with one or more end
points, the method comprising: partitioning a control plane of the
computer network into a hierarchy of domains; for each of the
domains of the partitioned control plane, independently performing:
receiving data representing a network state of one of the domains,
the data including a number of end points in the domain and a
number of network nodes in a higher-level domain in the hierarchy
of domains; and generating an outbound network route for
transmitting packets from the end points in the domain to others
outside of the domain, the outbound network route pointing to at
least one of the network nodes in the higher-level domain; and
transmitting packets between pairs of the end points in the
computer network based on the outbound network routes independently
generated for each of the domains of the partitioned control
plane.
10. The method of claim 9 wherein each of the domain of the
partitioned control plane includes an edge node, and wherein the
method further includes, at each domain in the hierarchy of the
partitioned control plane, generating an inbound network route for
transmitting a packet received at the edge node to one of the end
points associated with the domain of the partitioned control
plane.
11. The method of claim 9 wherein at least some of the network
nodes in the higher-level domain of the partitioned control plane
are in an edge node group, and wherein the outbound network route
points to the edge node group in the higher-level domain.
12. The method of claim 9 wherein the method further includes, at
each domain in the hierarchy of the partitioned control plane,
generating an internal network route for transmitting packets
between each pair of the end points associated with the domain of
the partitioned control plane.
13. The method of claim 9, further comprising: at each domain in
the hierarchy of the partitioned control plane, independently
performing: receiving data representing a change in the number of
end points in the domain of the partitioned control plane or a
change in the number of network nodes in the higher-level domain in
the hierarchy of the partitioned control plane; and updating the
generated outbound network route in the forwarding table in the
network node based on the received additional data.
14. The method of claim 9 wherein the network state of one of the
domains includes data representing connections of the end points
associated with the domain of the partitioned control plane and a
higher-level domain connected to the domain.
15. A method of transmitting packets in a computer network having a
hierarchy of domains individually having one or more network nodes
interconnected with one or more end points, the method comprising:
at each domain in the hierarchy, independently performing:
receiving a request to transmit a packet from a first end point in
a domain to a second end point in the computer network; determining
if the second end point is in the same domain as the first end
point; in response to determining that the second end point is not
in the same domain as the first end point, determining a network
route to a higher-level domain for the packet; and transmitting the
packet from the first end point in the domain to the higher-level
domain based on the determined network route.
16. The method of claim 15 wherein the method further includes, in
response to determining that the second end point is in the same
domain as the first end point, transmitting the packet to the
second end point in the same domain without transmitting the packet
to the higher-level domain.
17. The method of claim 15 wherein: each domain in the hierarchy
includes an edge node; and the method further includes, at each
domain in the hierarchy, independently performing: receiving a
packet having a corresponding end point identifier at the edge
node; determining an end point in the domain based on the end point
identifier; and forwarding the packet to the determined end
point.
18. The method of claim 15 wherein: each domain in the hierarchy
includes an edge node; and the method further includes, at each
domain in the hierarchy, independently performing: receiving a
packet having a corresponding end point identifier at the edge
node, the end point identifier including a plurality of sections in
a stack; removing one of the sections from a top of the stack;
subsequently, determining an end point based on a value in one of
the section in the stack, the one section being on top of the
stack; and forwarding the packet to the determined end point.
19. The method of claim 15 wherein: each domain in the hierarchy
includes an edge node; and the method further includes, at each
domain in the hierarchy, independently performing: receiving a
packet having a corresponding end point identifier at the edge
node, the end point identifier including a plurality of sections in
a stack; removing one of the sections from a top of the stack;
subsequently, determining an end point based on a value in one of
the section in the stack, the one section being on top of the
stack; determining if the end point is in the domain; and in
response to determining that the end point is not in the domain,
forwarding the packet to a lower-level domain in the hierarchy.
20. The method of claim 15 wherein receiving the request includes
receiving a request to transmit a packet from the first end point
in the domain to the second end point identified by an end point
identifier, the end point identifier having a plurality of sections
in a stack, the individual sections correspond to levels of
hierarchy in the computer network.
Description
CROSS-REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATION(S)
[0001] This application is related to U.S. patent application Ser.
No. ______, entitled "METHOD FOR END POINT IDENTIFICATION IN
COMPUTER NETWORKS," Attorney Docket No. 355732.01, filed ______,
the disclosure of which is incorporated herein in its entirety.
BACKGROUND
[0002] Computer networks can have a large number of physical or
virtual servers interconnected with one another by routers,
switches, bridges, or other network nodes via wired or wireless
network links. The network nodes can enable communications between
the servers by exchanging messages via the network links in
accordance with one or more network protocols.
[0003] One difficulty associated with designing and operating
computer networks is scalability. As the number of servers
increases, the amount of requisite resources as well as operational
complexity increase. For example, modern routers typically carry a
routing table in memory that specifies network routes to reach
particular servers in a computer network. As the number of servers
increases, so does the size of the routing table and the complexity
of computing network routes for the routing table. Thus, both
hardware costs and operational complexity of the routers can
increase to unmanageable levels as the number of servers reaches
millions or tens of millions.
SUMMARY
[0004] This Summary is provided to introduce a selection of
concepts in a simplified form that are further described below in
the Detailed Description. This Summary is not intended to identify
key features or essential features of the claimed subject matter,
nor is it intended to be used to limit the scope of the claimed
subject matter.
[0005] Scaling up computer networks to millions of servers, virtual
machines, or other end points may be difficult based on existing
network technology. As the number of end points increases, hardware
costs and operational complexity may increase to unmanageable
levels. For example, computing network routes between pairs of
millions of end points may require considerable computing power,
and may also result in routing tables that exceed memory capacities
of routers. In other examples, network traffic management
techniques (e.g., traffic engineering or load balancing) may be
difficult to implement on millions or tens of millions of end
points. For instance, computing network routes (or tunnels) for
traffic engineering, allocating network bandwidth to traffic
engineering tunnels, or other similar nondeterministic-polynomial
complete ("NP-complete") problems may be difficult when the number
of end points becomes large.
[0006] Several embodiments of the present technology may improve
scalability of computer networks by partitioning computer networks
into distinct physical or overlay domains interconnected with one
another in a hardware or software defined hierarchy. Control plane
functions (e.g., computation of network routes) and/or forwarding
plane functions (e.g., routing, forwarding, switching) may be
partitioned and performed individually on per domain basis based on
(1) a network configuration of a particular domain (e.g., end
points and/or lower-level domains in the particular domain); and
(2) one or more higher-level domains connected to the particular
domain in the hierarchy. Thus, the particular domain can manage
various network operations of the domain without concerns regarding
end points or network nodes in any other domains of the hierarchy.
As a result, network configuration and operation may be partitioned
to reduce hardware costs and operational complexity even as the
size of the overall computer networks increases. Other embodiments
of the present technology are directed to identifying end points in
a computer network based on at least a portion of a physical
location at which each of the end points are located.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
[0007] FIGS. 1A and 1B are schematic diagrams illustrating
hierarchical partitioning of a computer network in accordance with
embodiments of the present technology.
[0008] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example
application of the hierarchical partitioning technique in FIG. 1A
to a computer network for a data center or multiple data centers in
accordance with embodiments of the present technology.
[0009] FIG. 3 is a schematic diagram illustrating operations of the
computer network in FIG. 2 utilizing example end point identifiers
in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. Certain
portions of the computer network in FIG. 2 is omitted for
clarity.
[0010] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing example software
components of the network controller in FIG. 3 in accordance with
embodiments of the present technology.
[0011] FIGS. 5A and 5B are block diagrams illustrating example end
point identifiers having sections arranged in a stack in accordance
with embodiments of the present technology.
[0012] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating one example of one of
the sections in FIG. 5A or 5B in accordance with embodiments of the
present technology.
[0013] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of
end point identifier using IP addresses in accordance with
embodiments of the present technology.
[0014] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a
process of configuring a partitioned computer network in accordance
with embodiments of the present technology.
[0015] FIG. 9A is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a
process of managing outbound communications in a domain in
accordance with embodiments of the present technology.
[0016] FIG. 9B is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a
process of managing inbound communications in a domain in
accordance with embodiments of the present technology.
[0017] FIG. 10 is a computing device suitable for certain
components of the computer network in FIG. 1A.
DETAILED DESCRIPTION
[0018] Certain embodiments of systems, devices, components,
modules, routines, and processes for configuring and operating
computer networks are described below. In the following
description, specific details of components are included to provide
a thorough understanding of certain embodiments of the present
technology. A person skilled in the relevant art will also
understand that the technology may have additional embodiments. The
technology may also be practiced without several of the details of
the embodiments described below with reference to FIGS. 1A-10.
[0019] As used herein, the term "computer network" generally refers
to an interconnection network having a plurality of network nodes
that connect a plurality of end points to one another and to other
networks (e.g., the Internet). The term "network node" generally
refers to a physical or software emulated network device. Example
network nodes include routers, switches, hubs, bridges, load
balancers, security gateways, firewalls, network name translators,
or name servers. Each network node may be associated with a network
node identifier having a distinct value in a computer network.
[0020] Also used herein, the term "control plane" of a computer
network generally refers to a part of a network architecture that
is concerned with determining destinations for and/or manners with
which network traffic is carried in the computer network. A control
plane can include computation, configuration, and/or management of
routing or forwarding tables in network nodes using a centralized
controller or distributed routing or forwarding protocols, for
example, BGP, OSPF, ISIS, LDP, RSVP, etc. Other control plane
functions can also include bandwidth allocation, traffic
management, congestion control, network route protection
computation, failure recovery, system configuration, management,
analytics, and/or other network operations.
[0021] The term "forwarding plane" of a computer network generally
refers to another part of the network architecture that carries
network traffic. The forwarding plane forwards network traffic to a
next hop along a network route or forwarding path established
according to control plane logic or protocols. Forwarding plane
packets go through the network nodes, which utilize the forwarding
tables established by the control plane to perform routing,
switching, and transporting messages such as packets at each
network node.
[0022] The term "end point" generally refers to a physical or
software emulated computing device. Example end points include
network servers, network storage devices, personal computers,
mobile computing devices (e.g., smartphones), or virtual machines.
Each end point may be associated with an end point identifier that
can have a distinct value in a computer network. Examples of end
point identifiers (or network node identifiers) can include at
least a portion of a label used in a multiprotocol label switched
("MPLS") network, a stack of labels used in a MPLS network, one or
more addresses according to the Internet Protocol ("IP"), one or
more virtual IP addresses, one or more tags in a virtual local area
network, one or more media access control addresses, one or more
Lambda identifiers, one or more connection paths, one or more
physical interface identifiers, or one or more packet headers or
envelopes.
[0023] The term "domain" generally refers to a physical or logical
partition of a computer network. A domain may include a select
number of network nodes interconnected with one another and/or with
a number of end points in the computer network. A domain may also
be connected to one or more higher-level domains that include a
number of additional network nodes that connect the particular
domain to other domains at the same or different levels in a
hierarchy of domains. In the following description, a software
defined network ("SDN") using one or more SDN controllers is used
to illustrate embodiments of partitioning a computer network.
However, in other embodiments, one or more of the domains of the
computer network be at least partially a distributed computer
network that use distributed routing and/or forwarding
protocols.
[0024] The individual network nodes and end points in a domain may
individually contain a forwarding table that specifies manners of
forwarding messages (e.g., packets of data) to another end point in
the computer network. In certain embodiments, the forwarding table
may include a plurality of entries individually specifying a
network route, forwarding path, physical interface, or logical
interface corresponding to a particular value of an end point
identifier. An example entry can be as follows with suitable values
for each identifiers:
TABLE-US-00001 Destination Incoming end point Outgoing end point
Interface identifier identifier identifier
In certain embodiments, the incoming identifier and the outgoing
identifier may have different values. As such, at least a portion
of an end point identifier may change in conjunction with
forwarding a message from a network node. In other embodiments, the
incoming identifier and the outgoing identifier may have the same
values, and the example entry may be as follows instead:
TABLE-US-00002 Destination End point identifier Interface
identifier
In further embodiments, the forwarding table may include a
plurality of entries that individually reference entries in one or
more other tables based on a particular value of an end point
identifier.
[0025] Scaling up computer networks to interconnect a large number
of end points may be difficult or even impossible based on existing
network technology. For example, computing network routes between
pairs of a million end points in a computer network may result in
routing tables that exceed memory capacities of any existing
routers. In another example, traffic engineering techniques may be
difficult to implement because computation of traffic engineering
tunnels is NP-complete.
[0026] Several embodiments of the present technology can improve
scalability of computer networks by partitioning a computer network
into distinct domains interconnected with one another in a
hierarchy. The individual domains can include a manageable number
(e.g., 256, 512, 1024, or other suitable numbers) of end points
individually identified by an end point identifier. In certain
embodiments, the end point identifiers can individually have a
distinct value corresponding to the end points in a particular
domain and one or more higher-level domains that the particular
domain is connected to. Examples of end point identifiers are
described below with reference to FIGS. 5-7.
[0027] Control plane functions (e.g., computation of network
routes) and/or forwarding plane functions (e.g., routing,
forwarding, switching) may be partitioned and performed
individually on per domain basis based on (1) a network
configuration of a particular domain (e.g., end points and/or
lower-level domains in the particular domain); and (2) one or more
higher-level domains connected to the particular domain in the
hierarchy. For example, if a destination end point of a packet is
in the same domain as an originating end point, the packet may be
forwarded directly to the destination end point in the same domain
according to a pre-computed network route. For packets destined to
end points not in the same domain, the packets may be forwarded to
one or more higher-level domains, which in turn independently
perform further routing, forwarding, or other processing of the
packets based on the end point identifiers. Thus, a particular
domain may only need to recognize (1) the end points in the
particular domain (including any lower-level domains) and (2) the
end points of the one or more higher-level domains in order to
independently perform various control plane and/or forwarding plane
functions. As a result, the originating domain can manage various
network operations in the domain without concerns regarding network
operations in the other domains of the hierarchy. Thus, network
configuration and/or operation in each partitioned domain may be
maintained at a manageable level even as the size of the overall
computer network increases.
[0028] FIG. 1A is a schematic diagram illustrating hierarchical
partitioning of a computer network 100 into a plurality of domains
in a hierarchy in accordance with embodiments of the present
technology. As shown in FIG. 1A, the computer network 100 can
include a core domain 102 (identified as D0) interconnecting one or
more level-one domains 104 (identified individually as D1-1 and
D1-2). The level-one domains 104 can each include one or more
level-two domains 106 (identified individually as D2-1 and D2-2),
which in turn can include one or more end points 108 (identified as
EPs) and one or more network nodes 112. In FIG. 1A, three domain
levels and particular numbers of domains at each level are shown
for illustration purposes. In other embodiments, the computer
network 100 may be partitioned into any suitable levels of domains
with suitable numbers of domains and/or end points at each
level.
[0029] The core domain 102 can include one or more network nodes
112 interconnected to one another. Two network nodes 112 are shown
in FIG. 1A for illustration purposes. In other embodiments, the
core domain 102 may include any suitable number of network nodes
112 and/or other suitable components. The network nodes 112 can
include various computing and/or communications components to
facilitate communications between pairs of end points 108 in
lower-level domains. For example, the network nodes 112 of the core
domain 102 can include one or more label switched routers, long
haul dense wavelength division multiplexing modules, dynamic
context routers, interface message processors, and/or other
suitable components.
[0030] The computer network 100 may also include one or more edge
nodes between pairs of domains at adjacent levels in the hierarchy.
As used herein, an edge node generally refers to a network node
between a lower-level domain and an interconnected higher-level
domain. The edge node is both (1) a destination for the
higher-level domain; and (2) an entry point for the lower-level
domain, or vice versa. For example, the level-one domain D1-1 can
include a level-one edge node 114 (identified as EN1) that
interfaces with the core domain 102. The level-one domain D1-1 can
also include a level-two edge node 114 (identified as EN2-1) that
interfaces with the level-two domain D2-1 and another level-two
edge node 114 (identified as EN2-2) that interfaces with the
level-two domain D2-2. The level-one domain D1-2 can include a
level-one edge node 114 (identified as EN1-2) that interfaces with
the core domain D0 and a level-two edge node 114 (identified as
EN2-3) that interfaces with the level-two domain D2-3.
[0031] As discussed in more detail below, any end points 108 in a
particular domain in the hierarchy may reach other end points 108
in other domains by identifying one or more edge nodes at a lower
level of the hierarchy and one or more edge nodes at a higher level
of the hierarchy to the particular domain. For example, an end
point 108 in the level-one domain D1-1 may reach any other end
points 108 in the hierarchy by recognizing (1) the level-one edge
node EN1-1 and (2) the level-two edge node EN2-1 and EN2-2.
[0032] Even though only one edge node 114 is shown between pairs of
domains at adjacent levels in FIG. 1A, in certain embodiments, the
individual edge nodes 114 may include a group of edge nodes 114
having the same forwarding state (e.g., a destination hop or a
forwarding path in the computer network 100). For example, as shown
in FIG. 1B, the level-one domain D1-1 includes a group of edge
nodes 114 identified as EN1-1-1 to EN1-1-X. The level-one domain
D1-2 includes a group of edge nodes 114 identified as EN1-2-1 to
EN1-2-Y. In other examples, the level-two edge nodes EN2-1, EN2-2,
and EN2-3 can also each include a group of edge nodes (not shown).
In certain embodiments, packets from a particular domain may pass
through any one of the edge nodes 114 in an edge node group to
reach a desired destination. For example, the end point 108 in the
level-one domain D1-1 may reach any end points 108 in the level-two
domain D2-3 through any one of the edge nodes EN1-1-1 to EN1-1-X.
In other embodiments, packets from the particular domain may pass
through a particular one of the edge nodes 114 in the edge node
group utilizing techniques such as traffic engineering. In further
embodiments, packets from the particular domain may pass through
the edge nodes 114 in an edge node group in other suitable
manners.
[0033] Referring back to FIG. 1A, each domain of the computer
network 100 can independently manage control plane functions (e.g.,
computation of network routes) and/or forwarding plane functions
(e.g., routing, forwarding, switching) based on (1) a network
configuration of the end points 108 in the particular domain and
(2) a position and connectivity of the domain in the hierarchy. For
example, a forwarding table for the level-two domain D2-1 may be
computed based on (1) a configuration of the end points 108 in the
level-two domain D2-1 and (2) the identity of its higher-level
domains (i.e., the level-one domain D1-1 and the core domain D0).
For instance, the forwarding table may include entries specifying
one or more network routes (e.g., via the network node 112 or other
network nodes, not shown) from an originating end point 108 in the
domain D2-1 to a destination end point 108 in the same domain. In
certain embodiments, forwarding tables in the edge nodes 114 may
contain network routes to all end points 108 in a particular domain
while those in other network nodes 112 in the domain may only
contain network routes to a portion of the end points 108. In other
embodiments, forwarding tables in all edge nodes 114 and network
nodes 112 may contain network routes to all end points 108 in the
particular domain.
[0034] Continuing with the previous example, the forwarding table
may also include one or more entries that specifying a network
route for all destination end points 108 that are not in the
level-two domain D2-1. For example, all destination end points 108
in the level-two domain D2-2 may have the same network route in the
level-two domain D2-1 that points to the level-two edge node EN2-1.
All destination end points 108 in the level-two domain D2-3 may
have the same network route that points to the level-two edge node
EN2-1, the level-one edge node EN1-1, or one of the network nodes
112. Thus, by designating one network route for multiple
destination end points 108 in the other domains, the multiple
destination end points 108 may be deemed as "aggregated" to a
single (or limited number of) destination(s). Thus, the forwarding
table for the level-two domain D2-1 may include a manageable number
of entries (e.g., less than 3,000 entries). As a result, costly
equipment for network nodes in the first level-two domain D2-1 may
be avoided, and operating complexity may be reduced compared to
conventional techniques.
[0035] The level-one domain D1-1 may also include a similar
forwarding table in its network nodes (e.g., the level-one edge
node 114). The forwarding table may include entries that specify
one or more network routes from an originating lower-level domain
(e.g., the level-two domain D2-1) to a destination lower-level
domain (e.g., the level-two domain D2-2) in the same domain. If the
destination lower-level domain is not in the level-one domain D1-1,
the level-one domain D1-1 may specify a network route, for example,
to the edge node EN1-1 to the core domain 102. The core domain 102
may also include another forwarding table in the network nodes 112
having entries each specifying a network route to a lower-level
domain in a similar fashion as the level-one domains D1-1.
[0036] The forwarding tables of the domains in the computer network
100 can also include entries specifying a network route for
incoming messages to particular destination end points 108 in a
particular domain. For example, the forwarding table in the
level-one domain D1-2 may include an entry that specifies a network
route from the level-one edge node EN1-2 to the level-two edge node
EN2-3 for all end points 108 in the level-two domain D2-3. The
forwarding table in the level-two domain D2-3 can then include one
or more network routes for each of the end points 108 in that
domain. Several examples are discussed below to illustrate example
operations of the computer network 100. In other embodiments, the
computer network 100 may have other suitable operating sequences,
conditions, and/or other characteristics.
[0037] In operation, a network node 112 (or an edge node 114) in a
domain may receive a packet with an associated destination end
point identifier from an originating end point 108 (e.g., the end
point 108 in the level-two domain D2-1). The network node 112 (or
the edge node EN2-1) compares the value of the destination end
point identifier to entries in its forwarding table and determines
a network route for forwarding the packet. If the destination
(e.g., the end point 108') is in the same domain (i.e., the
level-two domain D2-1), one of the entries may specify a network
route to directly forward the message to the end point 108', for
example, via the network node 112.
[0038] If the destination (e.g., the end point 108'' in domain
D2-3) is not in the same domain as the originating end point 108,
the entries may specify a network route pointing to a higher-level
domain (e.g., the level-one domain D1-1). As a result, the network
node 112 forwards the packet to the edge node EN2-1. At the
level-one domain D1-1, the edge node EN2-1 compares the value of
the destination end point identifier with entries of its forwarding
table and determines a network route to the edge node EN1-1 in the
core domain 102. At the core domain 102, the edge node EN1-1
compares the value of the destination end point identifier with
entries of its forwarding table and determines a network route
through one or more of the network nodes 112 to the edge node
EN1-2. The edge node EN1-2 in turn determines a network route to
the edge node EN2-3, which then determines a route to forward the
message to the end point 108''.
[0039] As discussed above, each of the domains and associated
lower-level domains in the computer network 100 can each
independently manage own network operations. For example, each of
the domains can independently manage control plane functions and/or
forwarding plane functions based on a network configuration of a
particular domain and one or more higher-level domains connected to
the particular domain. Thus, the network operations of a particular
domain may not depend upon knowledge of the network state of the
entire computer network but instead the network state of the
particular domain. The term "network state" generally refers to
identification and connection of network nodes and/or end points,
current operating status of the network nodes and/or end points
(e.g., link up/down, etc.), bandwidth allocation in a computer
network, and/or other suitable data related to a condition and/or
characteristic of the computer network. As a result, expansion of
the computer network 100 has a limited or no impact on operation
complexity of the existing domains. For example, if the computer
network 100 is expanded to include another level-two domain D2-4
(shown in phantom lines for clarity), operations of the other
level-two domains 106 would only require limited adjustment. For
instance, the forwarding tables in the level-two domains D2-1,
D2-2, and D2-3 may need to be updated to recognize additional end
points 108 in the new level-two domain D2-4. However, the number of
entries in the forwarding table should not increase substantially
because the additional end points in the new domain D2-4 can be
"aggregated" with other end points not in the individual domains.
As a result, the computer network 100 may be expanded to include
millions or tens of millions of end points 108 while generally
maintaining similar levels of operation complexity in each
domains.
[0040] FIG. 2 is a schematic diagram illustrating an example
application of the hierarchical partitioning technique in FIG. 1A
to a computer network 100 for a data center or multiple data
centers in accordance with embodiments of the present technology.
As shown in FIG. 2, the computer network 100 can include a core
domain 102 having one or more network nodes 112. The computer
network 100' can also include one or more level-one domains 104.
Two level-one domains 104 are shown in FIG. 2 for illustration
purposes and are individually identified as domains D1-1 and D1-2.
In the illustrated embodiment, the level-one domain D1-1 includes
two level-two domains 106 (individually identified as D2-1 and
D2-2). The level-one domain D1-2 includes one level-two domain
D2-3. In other embodiments, the level-one domains 104 can include
other suitable number of domains and/or end points.
[0041] The level-two domains 106 can individually include one or
more end points 108, one or more edge nodes 114, and one or more
network nodes 112 connecting the end points 108 to the edge nodes
114. In one embodiment, the network nodes 112 can individually
include a top-of-rack ("TOR") router or switch. In other
embodiments, the network node 112 can include a bridge, a gateway,
or other suitable communications device. In the illustrated
embodiment, each of the level-two domains 106 include two edge
nodes 114 (e.g., edge nodes EN2-1 and EN2-1') forming an edge node
group. In certain embodiments, the edge nodes 114 in an edge node
group may be accessed randomly, for example, for non-traffic
engineering type packets. In other embodiments, one of the edge
nodes 114 in an edge node group may be particularly identified and
specified to handle, for example, traffic engineering type packets.
In further embodiments, the edge nodes 114 may be accessed in other
suitable manners based on any other suitable criteria. In any of
the foregoing embodiments, the same end point identifier may be
used, as discussed in more detail below with reference to FIG.
3.
[0042] As shown in FIG. 2, the individual domains in the computer
network 100' can include a network controller 110 (referred to
herein as "controller") adapted to configure, monitor, and/or
control network operations in a particular domain. In the
illustrated embodiment, the network controllers 110 are shown as
individual computing devices. In other embodiments, the network
controllers 110 may be a server or virtual machine at one of the
end points 108. In further embodiments, multiple domains (e.g., the
level-two domains D2-1 and D2-2) may share a common network
controller 110. Examples of the controllers 110 are discussed in
more detail below with reference to FIG. 4.
[0043] The hierarchical partitioning shown in FIG. 2 may be
overlaid on one or multiple data centers in various manners. For
example, in certain embodiments, the hierarchical partitioning
shown in FIG. 2 may be overlaid on one data center with the core
domain 102 including one or more T3 broadband switches of the data
center. The level-one domains 106 can include T2 switches which are
connected to level-two domains 106 having T1 and/or TOR switches.
In other embodiments, the level-one domains 104 may include both T2
and T1 switches while the level-two domains 106 include the TOR
switches. In another example, the hierarchical partitioning shown
in FIG. 2 can also be overlaid on multiple data centers. For
instance, the core domain 102 may include a core network
interconnecting multiple data centers and the T3 broadband
switches. Within each data center, the level-one domains can
include the T2 switches while the level-two domains can include the
T1 and/or TOR switches. In further examples, the partitioned
computer network 100' may include additional and/or different
partitioning levels.
[0044] In certain embodiments, each end point 108 in the computer
network 100' may be distinctly identified by a value of an end
point identifier 120 having a plurality of sections arranged in a
stack. Each of the sections can correspond to a physical or logical
location of the end point 108. For example, as shown in FIG. 3, a
destination end point 108'' in the level-two domain D2-3 may be
distinctly identified by a stack having four sections 122a-122d
that each correspond to a physical or logical location of the end
point 108''. In the illustrated example, each level of domain in
the hierarchy is associated with a section of the edge point
identifier 120 and may be used to reach one or more corresponding
edge nodes 114 associated with the particular domain. For instance,
the first section 122a has a value corresponding to the core domain
102 with an example value of 38. The second section 122b has a
value corresponding to the level-one domain D1-2 with an example
value of 63. The third section 122c has a value corresponding to
the level-two domain D2-3. The fourth section 122d has a value
corresponding to the server or virtual machine at the end point
108'' with an example value 14. In other embodiments, the end point
identifier can also include a single section or a compound end
point identifier having a plurality of end point identifiers, as
shown in FIG. 5. In further embodiments, the end points 108 may be
identified in other suitable manners and/or values, one example
using IP addresses is shown in FIG. 7.
[0045] The following discussion illustrates example operations for
forwarding a packet from an end point 108 in the level-two domain
D2-1 to the end point 108'' in a different level-two domain D2-3.
In operation, the end point 108 can generate a packet with the end
point identifier 120 and a payload 124 based on, for example, an IP
address or other suitable identification of the destination end
point 108'' in the domain D2-3. The end point identifier 120 can
include a value for each of the sections 122a-122d, as discussed
above. In the illustrated embodiment, the end point 108 forwards
the generated packet to the network node 112. The network node 112
compares the value in the top section of the end point identifier
120 (i.e., the first section 122a) to entries in a forwarding table
(not shown) in the network node 112 to determine a forwarding path
or next hop for forwarding the packet. For example, in one
embodiment, the value of "38" may correspond particularly to a
forwarding path to the level-two edge node EN2-1, which in turn
compares the top section of the end point identifier 120 to its
forwarding table to determine another forwarding path to the
level-one edge node EN1-1. In other embodiments, the value of "38"
may correspond to the edge node group including the edge nodes
EN2-1 and EN2-1'. In such an embodiment, one of the edge nodes
EN2-1 and EN2-1' may be selected to forward the packet randomly,
for example, using a hashing function, or in other suitable
manners.
[0046] The level-one edge node EN1-1 then forwards the message to
one or more of the network nodes 112 at the core domain 102. One or
more of the network nodes 112 compares the top section to entries
in its forwarding table, removes the top section (i.e., the first
section 122a), and forwards the message to the level-one edge node
EN1-2. The level-one edge node EN1-2 then compares the top section
(i.e., the second section 122b) to entries in its forwarding table,
removes the top section (i.e., the second section 122b), and
forwards the message to the level-two edge node EN2-3 or the edge
node group containing the edge nodes EN2-3 and EN2-3'. The
level-two edge node EN2-3 (or EN2-3') then compares the top section
(i.e., the third section 122c) to entries in its forwarding table,
removes the top section (i.e., the third section 122c), and
forwards the message to the network node 112' in the domain D2-3.
The network node 112' then compares the top section (i.e., the
fourth section 122d) to entries in its forwarding table, removes
the top section (i.e., the fourth section 122d), and forwards the
payload of the message to the end point 108''.
[0047] In the embodiments discussed above, the network nodes 112,
the edge nodes EN2-1, EN1-1, EN1-2, EN2-3 do not modify the top
section of the end point identifier 120 during network processing.
In other embodiments, at least one of the foregoing components may
swap a value of the top section of the end point identifier 120
before forwarding the packet along the determined network route.
The swapping may be recorded and stored in the respective
components. In further embodiments, the end point 108 may forward
the message directly to the edge nodes 114 without passing through
the network nodes 112. In yet further embodiments, the edge nodes
EN1-2, EN2-3 and the network node 112' may perform respective
forwarding functions without removing the top section of the end
point identifier 120, for example, by identifying which section of
the end point identifier 120 corresponds to a particular domain and
associated edge nodes 114.
[0048] In another example, the end point 108 in the level-two
domain D2-1 may also transmit a packet to the end point 108' in the
same domain in a similar fashion. For example, the end point 108 in
the level-two domain D2-1 may generate a packet with the end point
identifier 120 and a payload 124. The end point identifier 120 may
include only one section (e.g., the fourth section 122d) having a
value (e.g., 22) that corresponds to the end point 108'. The end
point 108 then transmits the packet with the end point identifier
120 and payload to 124 to the network node 112. The network node
112 compares the value in the top section of the end point
identifier 120 (i.e., the fourth section 122d) to entries in the
forwarding table, removes the top section of the end point
identifier 120, and forwards the packet to the end point 108' along
a determined forwarding path.
[0049] FIG. 4 is a block diagram showing example software
components of the controller 110 in FIG. 3 in accordance with
embodiments of the present technology. In FIG. 4 and in other
Figures hereinafter, individual software components, modules, and
routines may be a computer program, procedure, or process written
as source code in C, C++, C sharp, Java, and/or other suitable
programming languages. The computer program, procedure, or process
may be compiled into object or machine code and presented for
execution by a processor of a personal computer, a network server,
a laptop computer, a smart phone, and/or other suitable computing
devices. Various implementations of the source and/or object code
and associated data may be stored in a computer memory that
includes read-only memory, random-access memory, magnetic disk
storage media, optical storage media, flash memory devices, and/or
other suitable storage media.
[0050] In certain embodiments, the controller can include or be
operatively coupled to a database or network storage device
containing records of network state of one or more domains of a
hierarchy. The records of network state can include data related to
identification of network nodes, connection of the network nodes
and/or end points, current operating status of the network nodes
and/or end points (e.g., link up/down, etc.), bandwidth allocation
in the domain, and/or other suitable network data. As discussed
above, by partitioning the control plane functions and/or
forwarding plane functions, monitoring a network state of each
domain can be simplified when compared to conventional
techniques.
[0051] As shown in FIG. 4, the controller 110 can include a route
computation component 130, an end point identifier allocation
component 132, an end point identifier server 134, an end point
identifier manager 136, and an optional traffic engineering
component 131 operatively coupled to one another. Even though
particular components of the controller 110 are shown in FIG. 4, in
other embodiments, the controller 110 can also include one or more
input/output components and/or other suitable types of
components.
[0052] The route computation component 130 can be configured to
compute network routes in a particular domain based on input of
domain configuration 140. The domain configuration 140 may include
information of end points, network nodes, edge notes in a
particular domain as well as in one or more higher-level domains in
the hierarchy. The domain configuration 140 may be communicated to
the controller 110 automatically using a network communications
protocol, manually input by an operator, or in other suitable
manners. The route computation component 130 may be implemented
with various route computation techniques. For example, in one
embodiment, network routes may be computed based on the shortest
route from one end point to another. In other embodiments, routes
may be computed based on equal cost multiple path routing in which
a group of paths in a forwarding equivalent class may be designated
with a single entry (or multiple entries). In further embodiments,
the routes may be computed in conjunction with distributed routing
protocols and/or other suitable techniques.
[0053] The optional traffic engineering component 131 may be
configured to compute additional routes in the domain based on
traffic engineering techniques. In certain embodiments, the traffic
engineering component 131 can compute additional routes in the
domain based on a nature of network traffic, measurements or
simulation of the traffic, topology of the domain, and/or other
suitable criteria. In other embodiments, the controller 110 may
also include a bandwidth allocation component (not shown) that
receives requests for network bandwidth from a source end point to
a destination and provides the request to the traffic engineering
component 131 to determine an allocation and forwarding paths that
satisfy the requests. In further embodiments, the traffic
engineering component 131 may be omitted.
[0054] The end point identifier allocation component 132 can be
configured to compute and allocate values of end point identifiers
to each end points in a domain based on the input of domain
configuration 140. In certain embodiments, the values of end point
identifiers can individually include a plurality of sections in a
stack. In other embodiments, the values of end point identifiers
can also include other suitable data schema. The end point
identifier allocation component 132 can also be configured to
associate a particular value of the end point identifiers to a
network route computed by the route computation component 130
and/or the optional traffic engineering component 131.
[0055] The end point identifier manager 136 may be adapted to
configure forwarding tables 137 in network node(s) 112 (and/or edge
nodes 114) in the domain. Though not shown in FIG. 4, the end point
identifier manager 136 and the network nodes 112 may also include
suitable interfaces (e.g., an application program interface
("API")) to facilitate communications. In certain embodiments, the
entries in the forwarding tables 137 may be generated statically.
As such, the entries in the forwarding table 137 may be computed
once. In other embodiments, the entries in the forwarding table 137
may be updated periodically, continuously, or in other suitable
manners.
[0056] The end point identification server 134 can be configured to
provide values of end point identifiers 120 when queried by an end
point 108. The values of the end point identifiers 120 may be used
by the edge nodes 114 (FIG. 1A) to determine a forwarding path for
individual packets passing through the edge nodes 114. For example,
in certain embodiments, an originating end point 108 may query the
end point identification server 134 for a value of the end point
identifier 120 associated with a destination end point 108 via a
suitable interface (e.g., an API). In response, the end point
identification server 134 provides the requested value to the
originating end point 108. The requested value corresponds to one
of the entries in the forwarding table 137 in the network node 112.
The originating end point 108 may then append or otherwise modify a
message or packet with the received value of the end point
identifier associated with the destination end point 108, and
transmit the message to the network node 112 for forwarding.
[0057] FIG. 5A is a block diagram illustrating an example end point
identifier 120 having sections 122a-122d arranged in accordance
with embodiments of the present technology. As shown in FIG. 5A,
the end point identifier 120 includes four sections 122a-122d in
the end point identifier 120, individually identified as sections
ID0, ID1, ID2, and ID3, and arranged according to a hierarchy of a
computer network. For example, in the illustrated embodiment, each
of the sections ID0, ID1, ID2, and ID3 may be configured to contain
a value that corresponds to the core domain D0 (Figure 1A),
level-one domain D1 (FIG. 1A), level-two domain D2 (FIG. 1A), and
the end point 108, respectively, in the computer network 100 shown
in FIG. 1A. In other embodiments, at least one of the sections ID0,
ID1, ID2, and ID3 may correspond to a different and/or additional
domains. In further embodiments, the end point identifier 120 may
include two, three, five, or any other suitable number of sections.
In yet further embodiments, the end point identifier 120 may also
be arranged in a queue, a list, a set, or other suitable data
structures. In yet other embodiments, the sections ID0, ID1, ID2,
and ID3 may correspond to a physical location associated with an
end point in the computer network, as described in more detail
below with reference to FIG. 5B.
[0058] FIG. 5B is a block diagram illustrating another example end
point identifier 120 having sections 122a-122d in accordance with
embodiments of the present technology. As shown in FIG. 5B, the
sections ID0, ID1, ID2, and ID3 may each correspond to a physical
location associated with an end point. For example, the sections
ID0, ID1, ID2, and ID3 may respectively correspond to a datacenter
ID 162, a building ID 164, a room ID 166, and a server ID 168 of a
network server. The network server identified by the server ID may
be physically located in a room identified by the room ID 166 that
is located in a building identified by the building ID 164 of a
datacenter identified by the datacenter ID 162. In other examples,
one of the sections ID0, ID1, ID2, and ID3 may also correspond to a
row ID identifying a row in which the network server is located or
a rack ID identifying a row in which the network server is located.
In yet further examples, the section ID3 may also correspond to a
virtual machine ID that identifies a virtual machine on a network
server, for example, that is identified by the server ID 168. In
yet other examples, the end point identifier 120 may have other
suitable number of sections 122 and/or corresponding physical
location IDs.
[0059] FIG. 6 is a block diagram illustrating an example of one of
the sections 122a-122d in FIG. 5 in accordance with embodiments of
the present technology. As shown in FIG. 6, the section 122 can
include an optional traffic engineering identifier 152 and a
destination identifier 154. The traffic engineering identifier 152
may be configured to contain a value indicating that the section
122 is associated with a route computed by the optional traffic
engineering component 131 (FIG. 4). The destination identifier 154
can be configured to contain a value corresponding to a domain, a
physical location, a group of physical locations, a particular
network node, a group of network nodes, an end point, or other
suitable items. In further embodiments, the traffic identifier 152
may be omitted.
[0060] FIG. 7 is a schematic diagram illustrating one example of
end point identifier using an IP address 200 in accordance with
embodiments of the present technology. As shown in the illustrated
embodiment in FIG. 7, the end point identifier 120 may include an
IP address 200 having four sections 202 each with a number of bits
(eight are shown for illustration purposes). Each of the sections
202 can represent and correspond to the domains D0, D1, and D2 or
the end point 108 in the computer network 100 shown in FIG. 2. In
other embodiments, an original IP address not assigned as shown in
FIG. 7 may be processed to correspond to a virtual IP address such
as that shown in FIG. 7. In further embodiments, the IP address 200
may include other suitable formats, such as according to IPv6.
[0061] FIG. 8 is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a
process of configuring a partitioned computer network in accordance
with embodiments of the present technology. As shown in FIG. 8, the
process 300 can include receiving, at each domain, configuration
data of the particular domain and one or more higher-level domains
in a computer network partitioned hierarchically as shown in FIG.
1A at stage 302. The configuration data can include a number of and
an identity of end points in the domain as well as connectivity of
the end points. The configuration data can also include
connectivity data to the higher-level domain such as the identity
of the edge node to the higher-level domain.
[0062] The process 300 can also include generating network routes
based on the received configuration data at stage 304. In certain
embodiments, the routes can be computed between pairs of end points
in the domain. In other embodiments, one or more routes may be
computed to be directed to the edge node to the higher-level domain
for end points not in the domain. The computed routes may then be
stored with the end point identifiers in a forwarding table for the
domain at stage 306.
[0063] FIG. 9A is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a
process 400 of managing outbound communications and FIG. 9B is a
flowchart illustrating a process 500 of managing inbound
communications in a domain in accordance with embodiments of the
present technology. As discussed below, the particular domain can
manage the inbound and outbound communications independently from
other domains, i.e., without concerns regarding routing,
forwarding, or performing other network operations in other
domains. As shown in FIG. 9A, the process 400 can include
receiving, for example, at a network node 112 (FIG. 1A) or an edge
node 114 (FIG. 1A) in a particular domain an outbound message to a
destination end point at stage 402. The process 400 also include
comparing an end point identifier associated with the received
message to entries in a forwarding table in the network node 112 or
the edge node 114 at stage 404. If the destined end point is in the
same domain, the forwarding table includes an entry that specifies
a network route to directly forward the message to the destination
end point. The process 400 then includes forwarding the message to
the destination end point following the specified network route. If
the destined end point is not in the same domain, the forwarding
table includes an entry that specifies another network route for
forwarding the message to the higher-level domains. The process 400
then includes forwarding the message to the higher-level domains at
stage 408.
[0064] FIG. 9B is a flowchart illustrating an embodiment of a
process 500 of independently managing inbound communications in a
domain in accordance with embodiments of the present technology. As
shown in FIG. 9B, the process 500 includes receiving, for example,
at an edge node 114 (FIG. 1A) of the domain, an incoming message at
stage 502. The process 500 also includes comparing a value of an
end point identifier associated with the message with entries of a
forwarding table at the edge node 114 at stage 504. In one
embodiment, a value in a top section of the end point identifier is
compared to the entries in the forwarding table. In other
embodiments, additional and/or different sections of the end point
identifier may be used instead. If the destination is in the
domain, the forwarding table includes an entry that specifies a
network route to the end point, and the process 500 includes
forwarding the message to the end point following the network route
at stage 506. If the destination is not in the domain, the
forwarding table includes an entry that specifies another network
route to a lower-level domain, and the process 500 include
forwarding the message to the lower-level domain at stage 508. In
certain embodiments, the process 500 may optionally include
removing the top section in the end point identifier before
forwarding the message to the lower-level domain. In other
embodiments, the top section may be swapped, maintained, and/or
otherwise modified. The lower-level domain (and lower-level domain
of the lower-level domain, if any) may perform operations generally
similar to the process 500 until the message is forwarded to the
destination end point.
[0065] Even though a forwarding table was used as an example
technique for determining a network route in FIGS. 9A and 9B, in
other embodiments, the network route may be determined on an ad hoc
basis. For example, in one embodiment, in response to receiving an
inbound or outbound message, a determination may be performed to
decide whether the destination end point associated with the
message is in the particular domain. In other embodiments, the
determination may be performed on a continuous basis, periodic,
basis, or other suitable basis.
[0066] FIG. 10 is a computing device 600 suitable for certain
components of the computer network 100 in FIGS. 1A-3. For example,
the computing device 600 may be suitable for the end points 108 of
FIG. 1A or the controller 110 of FIGS. 2 and 3. In a very basic
configuration 602, computing device 600 typically includes one or
more processors 604 and a system memory 606. A memory bus 608 may
be used for communicating between processor 604 and system memory
606.
[0067] Depending on the desired configuration, the processor 604
may be of any type including but not limited to a microprocessor
(.mu.P), a microcontroller (.mu.C), a digital signal processor
(DSP), or any combination thereof. The processor 604 may include
one more levels of caching, such as a level-one cache 610 and a
level-two cache 612, a processor core 614, and registers 616. An
example processor core 614 may include an arithmetic logic unit
(ALU), a floating point unit (FPU), a digital signal processing
core (DSP Core), or any combination thereof. An example memory
controller 618 may also be used with processor 604, or in some
implementations memory controller 618 may be an internal part of
processor 604.
[0068] Depending on the desired configuration, the system memory
606 may be of any type including but not limited to volatile memory
(such as RAM), non-volatile memory (such as ROM, flash memory,
etc.) or any combination thereof. The system memory 606 may include
an operating system 620, one or more applications 622, and program
data 624. This described basic configuration 602 is illustrated in
FIG. 6 by those components within the inner dashed line.
[0069] The computing device 600 may have additional features or
functionality, and additional interfaces to facilitate
communications between basic configuration 602 and any other
devices and interfaces. For example, a bus/interface controller 630
may be used to facilitate communications between the basic
configuration 602 and one or more data storage devices 632 via a
storage interface bus 634. The data storage devices 632 may be
removable storage devices 636, non-removable storage devices 638,
or a combination thereof. Examples of removable storage and
non-removable storage devices include magnetic disk devices such as
flexible disk drives and hard-disk drives (HDD), optical disk
drives such as compact disk (CD) drives or digital versatile disk
(DVD) drives, solid state drives (SSD), and tape drives to name a
few. Example computer storage media may include volatile and
nonvolatile, removable and non-removable media implemented in any
method or technology for storage of information, such as computer
readable instructions, data structures, program modules, or other
data.
[0070] The system memory 606, removable storage devices 636, and
non-removable storage devices 638 are examples of computer readable
storage media. Computer readable storage media include, but not
limited to, RAM, ROM, EEPROM, flash memory or other memory
technology, CD-ROM, digital versatile disks (DVD) or other optical
storage, magnetic cassettes, magnetic tape, magnetic disk storage
or other magnetic storage devices, or any other media which may be
used to store the desired information and which may be accessed by
computing device 600. Any such computer readable storage media may
be a part of computing device 600. The term "computer readable
storage medium" excludes propagated signals and communication
media.
[0071] The computing device 600 may also include an interface bus
640 for facilitating communication from various interface devices
(e.g., output devices 642, peripheral interfaces 644, and
communication devices 646) to the basic configuration 602 via
bus/interface controller 630. Example output devices 642 include a
graphics processing unit 648 and an audio processing unit 650,
which may be configured to communicate to various external devices
such as a display or speakers via one or more A/V ports 652.
Example peripheral interfaces 644 include a serial interface
controller 654 or a parallel interface controller 656, which may be
configured to communicate with external devices such as input
devices (e.g., keyboard, mouse, pen, voice input device, touch
input device, etc.) or other peripheral devices (e.g., printer,
scanner, etc.) via one or more I/O ports 658. An example
communication device 646 includes a network controller 660, which
may be arranged to facilitate communications with one or more other
computing devices 662 over a network communication link via one or
more communication ports 664.
[0072] The network communication link may be one example of a
communication media. Communication media may typically be embodied
by computer readable instructions, data structures, program
modules, or other data in a modulated data signal, such as a
carrier wave or other transport mechanism, and may include any
information delivery media. A "modulated data signal" may be a
signal that has one or more of its characteristics set or changed
in such a manner as to encode information in the signal. By way of
example, and not limitation, communication media may include wired
media such as a wired network or direct-wired connection, and
wireless media such as acoustic, radio frequency (RF), microwave,
infrared (IR) and other wireless media. The term computer readable
media as used herein may include both storage media and
communication media.
[0073] The computing device 600 may be implemented as a portion of
a small-form factor portable (or mobile) electronic device such as
a cell phone, a personal data assistant (PDA), a personal media
player device, a wireless web-watch device, a personal headset
device, an application specific device, or a hybrid device that
include any of the above functions. The computing device 600 may
also be implemented as a personal computer including both laptop
computer and non-laptop computer configurations.
[0074] Specific embodiments of the technology have been described
above for purposes of illustration. However, various modifications
may be made without deviating from the foregoing disclosure. In
addition, many of the elements of one embodiment may be combined
with other embodiments in addition to or in lieu of the elements of
the other embodiments. Accordingly, the technology is not limited
except as by the appended claims.
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